Page 7 of Villains Never Die

“I’ll remind you that this stone is the only one of its kind,” I said. “A ruby, diamond, and gold, blended through alchemical processes that have been lost. Its properties are numerous.”

There it was. A thin sheen of sweat across his brow.

My phone rang, buzzing against my desk.

Unknown number.

I was polite enough not to answer it during a meeting.

It stopped. Started up again.

Unknown number.

Anyone worth answering would leave a voicemail. Otherwise, they were Gray’s problem. He set up these meetings. I was just the face that made them sweat.

I stuck it in my desk drawer and folded my hands, waiting for Kristoffer’s answer. He swallowed hard, and I watched the ball of nerves wriggle down his throat.

“I’ll tell you what,” I said, sliding the jewel toward me on a silk cloth. “I’ll give you three days to decide. You know how to reach my assistant.”

As if on cue, Gray opened the door and waited for him to leave. The man hesitated in the chair across my desk until I narrowed my eyes and made one quick, shooing motion. He scampered up in a way that was rather undignified for someone of significant status and gave Gray a wide berth as he left.

I sighed and rubbed my forehead as the door closed.

“You okay, boss?” Gray asked, hovering on the other side of the room.

“Fine,” I said, leaning back in my chair and staring at the closed door. “He’ll come around.”

“Wasn’t actually what I meant…”

I lifted my eyebrows and waited for Gray to insert himself into my personal business the way he had a habit of doing. I wouldhave fired anyone else, but I’d made Gray a promise years ago. His wife had just kicked him out when I met him in a dirty gambling den. I swore if he could beat me at a game of cards, I would give him a job. I hadn’t expected him to win, but he did, and Gray was the type of man down on his luck enough to do any job, no questions asked.

Now? I could not have run my business so easily without him. He was the one employee who was absolutely indispensable.

“You haven’t been sleeping enough.”

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” I told him, which reminded me I needed to get him out of my office so I could work on my other project. The clock ticked endlessly, and though I had planned to sleep tonight, I’d neglected this project for months and needed the time to catch up.

“That will be sooner than you think if you don’t fucking sleep.”

I sighed and rubbed my fingertips across my forehead. If only he knew.

But no one could know why death wouldn’t stick to me. I always ended up revived and pissed off, but that was the price of success, and until I reached one very important goal, I wouldn’t consider myself successful.

“And you’ve been…messier…than normal.” He frowned and flexed the split knuckles on his right hand, no doubt from gathering the information I needed the night before.

I brushed off his observation. “Sometimes aggression needs to be filtered somewhere useful.”

“Did you go to Rook’s club?” He hovered near the door still, his posture just as hesitant as his question.

“Rook is no longer a threat,” I lied. My stomach curdled. Was he a threat? He kissed me back. I hadn’t considered that he might retaliate. Perhaps I should have put extra security on the building.

“You killed him?”

“I…came to an arrangement.” Let the brute have his little sliver of this city. I could spare it.

My skin prickled at the thought. I didn’t share what was mine, but as I reviewed my three options—none of which were ideal—ignoring him still seemed like the best course of action.

Gray opened his mouth again.